Chandigarh [India], October 20 (ANI): After a political controversy over a virtual ‘Satsang’ organised by rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh which was attended by many BJP leaders, Dera spokesperson Jitendra Khurana said Ram Rahim got parole as per the law and it has nothing to do with the upcoming bye-election.
Ram Rahim, who is serving a jail term after being convicted in rape and murder cases was released from Sunaria jail on 40-day parole on Saturday.
“According to the law, any accused gets 70 days’ parole in a year. ‘Baba’ (Rahim) also took 40 days’ parole on Saturday and he was on 30 days’ parole earlier. He got parole as per the law and it has nothing to do with the upcoming election,” Khurana said.
Refuting claims by opposition leaders that Ram Rahim got bail ahead of elections for political purposes, Khurana said that has never been associated with politics, neither he will ever have anything to do with politics in future.
“He has always done work towards the welfare of the society to create awareness among the people for de-addiction. He has improved the lives of people and it is totally wrong to say that anyone cannot preach when he or she is on parole. Whatever he is doing, he is doing under the law,” Khurana said.
Notably, Ram Rahim on Wednesday organized a virtual ‘Satsang’ which was attended by many political leaders including the Karnal Mayor and many Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, sparking a fresh controversy.
The Dera chief’s family had submitted an application to the jail authorities seeking month-long parole for him.
The opposition demanded a justification from the Bharatiya Janata Party over its leaders’ participation in the Satsang.
Meanwhile, Karnal mayor Renu Bala Gupta, deputy mayor Naveen Kumar and senior deputy mayor Rajesh Aggi are continuously trying to defend their participation in the event.
The senior Deputy Mayor said, “I was invited to the Satsang by the ‘sadh sangat’. Online Satsang was done from UP. Many people in my ward are associated with Baba. We reached the program from social connection and it has nothing to do with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the upcoming bypoll.”
Notably, the Adampur bypoll in Haryana is scheduled to be held on November 3. Besides, the state is also scheduled to hold panchayat polls soon.
Deputy Mayor Naveen Kumar said that everyone who got information about the Satsang reached there.
On the question of taking the blessings of Ram Rahim to win the election, Naveen said that the people have chosen him from their ward and only the public decides this.
“It is necessary to have the blessings of the people,” Naveen said.
Speaking about Dera chief’s parole, he said that anyone could seek parole at his own pleasure.
“He may have taken parole for the festival of Diwali and we should not equate it with elections,” he added.
Notably, the opposition also alleged that Ram Rahim was granted parole due to the forthcoming bypolls.
He was convicted by a special CBI court in Panchkula in August 2017 for raping two women followers.
While, on October 8, 2021, the court convicted Ram Rahim and four others in connection with former Dera manager Ranjit Singh’s murder case.
Ranjit Singh was murdered in 2002 on the premises of Dera Sacha Sauda.
CBI had registered the case on the orders passed by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in the year 2003 and taken over the investigation of the case earlier registered at Police Station Sadar in Kurukshetra.
It was alleged that Ranjit Singh was murdered on July 10, 2002, when he was working in his fields at village Khanpur Kolian of Kurukshetra district in Haryana. (ANI)
This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.